CHAMPION FORD GULF FREEWAY – FORD F350 SUPER DUTY.

Champion Ford Gulf Freeway

CHAMPION FORD GULF FREEWAY – FORD F350 SUPER DUTY.

Champion Ford Gulf Freeway

gulf freeway

Interstate 45 (I-45) is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico.

champion

A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, esp. in sports

A person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else

A knight who fought in single combat on behalf of the monarch

holding first place in a contest; “a champion show dog”; “a prizewinning wine”

protect or fight for as a champion

someone who has won first place in a competition

ford

A shallow place in a river or stream allowing one to walk or drive across

cross a river where it’s shallow

grandson of Henry Ford (1917-1987)

United States film maker (1896-1973)

1971 Gulf Travelaide map, I-45 Texas

Travelaide map cover pocket (Ieft) and Gulf station locator (right). On I-45 between Dallas and Houston – and then Houston to Galveston, Gulf stations were located at the exits listed with the "FS" symbol for the U.S. 190-TX 21 exit indicating "food service" or restaurant.

Gulf was a popular gasoline marketer in the state of Texas for decades before its merger with Chevron in 1984. Gulf stations and jobbers in Texas and other southern and southwestern states were generally converted to Chevron.

1971 was also the year the last section of I-45 between Dallas and Houston was completed between Streetman and Buffalo, ending the reign of U.S. 75 as the main route between Texas’ two largest cities – and bypassing a "deathtrap" section of old 75 where the Texas Department of Transportation placed large warning signs in 1970 confirming the number of deaths on that stretch of road in the years 1968 and 1969.

With that, the only section of highway not up to full interstate standards was an older stretch of the Gulf Freeway leading into Galveston that was still signed as US 75.

I go up in helicopters a lot for work shots. This is one I did a few years ago in Webster. The shot is facing south above the Gulf Freeway. Galveston and the gulf of Mexico are on the horizon. This is one of about 500 aerial shots I did that day.